About the Human Development and Family Studies Master’s Program
The research-oriented Master of Science in Human Development and Family Studies programs require a thesis and dissertation, respectively, and prepare students for careers as university faculty, full-time researchers, medical school faculty, and human service providers. Applicants should contact the department concerning admissions requirements, programs of study, and financial assistance www.depts.ttu.edu/hs/hdfs/index.php. Admission to a graduate degree program requires the recommendation of the department and the Graduate School .
Faculty research interests in the HDFS department are broad and multidisciplinary, creating many areas of specialization. Individual development research includes participants across the lifespan as well as within multiple domains of development (e.g., social, emotional, and cognitive). Special emphasis is placed on exploring development in context (e.g., cultural, ecological), measuring brain function using fMRI, and understanding developmental problems and solutions. Relationship process research includes inter-generational family relationships (ranging from infant-parent dyads to adult children and their elderly parents), close relationships (e.g., intimate and marital relationships), social interactions, and family issues (e.g., impact of work and stress on families). The department also specializes in research on theory, statistical methods and analyses, Hispanic and other ethnic studies, and issues specific to rural populations.
Students in the HDFS master’s program take two theories courses (Theories of Human Development and Family Theories), research methods, introduction to statistics, and a colloquium in HDFS. All students are required to complete a research-based thesis and at least 6 hours of thesis research. Beyond these requirements, the remainder of the hours in the program (17 of 36) are electives allowing students to tailor the program to their own needs and interests.
